The Snake and The Lion
by snapeadoodle
Summary: This fic is about the friendship between Severus Snape and Lily Evans. DH spoilers. rated T just in case. Starts when he first meets her, and continues into their years at Hogwarts up until their 'falling out'. SeverusLily pairingship.
1. The Playground

**Author's Note:** Hi! Please read and review. Constructive critism, please, no flames. I know this is a popular fic idea, but I fell in love with it and I had to write one of my own. Any suggestions or corrections are appreciated. :)

**Summary: **This fic is about Severus Snape and Lily Evans, from the time they met to the time their friendship ended. DH spoilers.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I'm not JKRowling. -tear- I do not own any of the characters. I'll also be putting lyrics at the begining of each chapter. I think it adds a little something. XD Credit to the artist will be given.

_Carry on my wayward son,  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more_

**"Carry on Wayward Son", Kansas. " Leftoverture"**

**The Playground  
**

"_Hogwarts?_ What the bloody hell is _Hogwarts?!_"

"It's a wizarding school. Every witch and wizard atten--"

"_FREAKS_, you mean. And we're not like every other freak family, we haven't got the money to send the boy off to a school like that! Bloody waste of money, even if we could afford it. _LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU--_"

A loud noise, of hand colliding with face echoed throughout the small house. He had had enough. Without making a sound Severus opened his bedroom window and jumped. The window was only five feet above the ground, so he landed in bushes, unharmed. Standing up, brushing off his clothes, Severus began to run. Where wasn't important. Anywhere, as long as it wasn't this house.

He ran and ran until he couldn't run any more. He found himself at a fence, beyond which was what appeared to be a playground. He couldn't really see it, as his vision was obscured by a line of bushes in the way, but he could see the top of a slide just above where the bushes ended. He could hear laughter and voices. The source of which, he could not see. Before he could think about what he was doing, Severus found himself crawling through the bushes, trying to see the people laughing, yet trying to stay concealed.

Finally, after several scrapes and cuts from sharp branches, he found himself in a position where he was hidden, but still had a fairly decent view of the playground.

There were two girls running towards the swingset. "Hah! I win!" yelled one of the girls, as she beat her companion in the race to the swings. "I beat you Tuney!" she cried playfully. The girl had long, red hair that fell half-way down her back. Her face was freckled and pleasant, and she had beautiful almond-shaped green eyes.

"Shut it," said the other girl--Tuney--Severus was guessing from what the first girl had said. What kind of a horrible Muggle name _'Tuney'_ was, he did not know. "You cheated Lily, I know you did," she challenged.

Severus did not know either girls, but he was starting to already dislike this Tuney. Her voice was high-pitched, and whiney. She stood with her hands on her hips, her nose up in the air, chomping on bubble gum contemptuously.

"Lily, _I'm_ in charge when we're here," she said bossily. "_Mummy said so._" Ah, Severus thought, so these girls are sisters.

But Lily didn't appear to be paying much attention to her sister, for she jumped on the swing nearest her, and was gaining altitude fast.

"Lily, you better not jump off again, you're going to hurt yourself and I'll be in troub--LILY!" Tuney schreeched at her sister, as Lily yelled "WHEEE!" and jumped off her swing.

It looked like a dangerous jump--but instead of falling the ground, she appeared to be soaring, flying, finally landing dantily on her feet some fifteen feet away. Severus was intrigued. How could she have managed that?

"LILY!" Tuney shouted. "That's it. We're going home. I'll telling Mummy."

"No! Please don't," said Lily pleadingly. "I promise I won't do it again."

But Tuney ignored her sister and stomped off in the other direction, and Lily had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Severus sat, hugging his knees in the corner of his room. He hated it here, he hated this place. The house was small, cramped, and dirty. It stank with the filth of his Muggle father, Tobias, a drunk who lost his temper daily, screaming at the top of his lungs how he despised his family of freaks--Eileen, his wife, and Severus, his son. Eileen was a witch, and had passed on her magical qualities to Severus, therefore earning them both the title of 'freak'. 

Someday, not too far away, Severus would be gone from here. He was 11 now, soon he'd be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he'd learn to control his magical abilities, well away from his father.

The screaming in the other room grew louder, penetrating through the walls. Severus tried to focus on thoughts of Hogwarts, but somehow he always ended up thinking of that pretty little red-headed girl, Lily.

* * *

Every day for the next few weeks Severus returned to his hidding place in the bushes and watched the playground, waiting for the two girls to come back. They came nearly every day, and every day he found himself believing that Lily was a witch. A mudblood, but still a witch. 

He wasn't sure, even himself, why he was so intrigued by this girl. So what if she was a witch? She was a mudblood. His mother had always told him about mudbloods, about how they were inferior, their magical abilities not as good as those with a magical ancestry. Still, this girl, Lily, was fascinating. She was beautiful and full of life. He wanted so badly to speak to her, to swing on the swings beside her.

Perhaps someday he would

* * *

"Tuney," said Lily. Lily walked over to the bush where Severus was hiding and he froze, petrified that she would see him. She picked a flower, and turned her back to him, facing her sister. "Look what I can do!" 

What exactly she was doing, Severus couldn't see.

"Lily! How are you doing that--how are you making it move?"

This was the perfect time, the perfect time to tell her. Tell her how and why she could do it. Severus stood up, taking a deep breath, making himself visible to the girls. "Isn't it obvious?"


	2. Defenses Weakened

**Author's Note:** Hi! Please read and review. Constructive critism, please, no flames. I'd like to thank those of you who put this story on your favorite stories list, or on your story alert. And thank you to _0-Laurie-0, magnificentX, _and _E. Darkholme_ for your kind reviews. :)

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I'm not JKRowling. -tear- I do not own any of the characters. I'll also be putting lyrics at the begining of each chapter. I think it adds a little something. XD Credit to the artist will be given.

_In the days of my youth  
I was told what it was to be a man,  
Now I've reached the age  
I've tried to do all those things the best I can.  
No matter how I try,  
I find my way to do the same old jam._

**"Good Times, Bad Times", Led Zeppelin. Album: Led Zeppelin I**_  
_

**Defenses Weakened**

Severus Snape hated to show emotion. To him, showing emotion was the equivalent of being weak. Not being able to control his emotions meant that he wasn't in not control of, well, anything. Concealment, hiding--this was key, this was the only way to survive in the Snape household. To show emotion of any kind was reason for Tobias Snape to yell, to hurt. Anyone who had knowledge of what occured in that small house on Spinners End could understand why the boy was so bitter, so withdrawn.

Severus could remember the day that made him decide to conceal his feelings. The _'final straw'_, as muggles say. The incident happened when he was five. He had been sitting outside in the yard, thinking about mean things that his schoolmates had said to him earlier that day. Rage, anger, hatred. These emotions overcame him and a shower of red sparks had burst out of nowhere, raining down upon him. Severus' dark mood had instantly turned ecstatic--he had just done magic! He knew his mother was magical too. His father wasn't though, so he hadn't been sure if he would be magical or not. He had always wondered, and secretely hoped that he too, possessed magic.

The sparks had disapeared a minute later, but he concentrated--hard--on making the sparks appear again. They did. Now Severus was absolutely elated. He ran into his house as fast as he could, eager to tell and show his parents what he could do. "Mum! Dad! Look, look! Look what I can do!" he had shouted. He once again made the sparks shower down upon him. He beamed up at his mother and father.

"What're you so happy about? Happy, are you, that you're like your mother?" his father had snarled, jerking his head over to where Severus' mother was standing. "Well boy, then _congratulations_. You're a _freak_ just like her. That's something to be real proud of," he spat at him, stomping out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

This was the incident that made Severus close everyone out. The only time he let emotion show was when he knew he was alone, and well out of sight or earshot from anyone else. And even then he tried his hardest to push down the emotion that so desperately wanted to be shown.

* * *

Severus stood, half of him still in the bushes he so often occupied, and faced Tuney and Lily, struggling to hide his pink-faced nervousness. 

Both looked shocked. Lily jumped in surprise.

"What _are_ you doing? Have you been watching us?" said Tuney, the initial look of shock now replaced by one of discust.

"No," said Severus defensively, fighting to maintain the colour of his face. He was losing this battle, however, for his face was a deep shade of scarlet. He shook his dark, greasy hair into his face, trying to hide his all-too-obvious embarassment. "Besides," he added scathingly, "I wouldn't watch _you_. You're just a boring, useless _muggle_."

Both girls shot him confused looks. After an awkward moment of silence, Lily asked, "What's obvious?", ignoring the death stares between himself and her sister.

"Well," said Severus matter-of-factly, turning to face Lily, "it's obvious how you did that trick with the flower. You're a witch. You can do mag--"

Lily glared at him. "Well _that's_ not a very nice thing to say!"

"No! I didn't mean it like that! You can do magic! Being a witch isn't an insult!" Severus said hurridly, trying to patch up his mistake.

"Ah, now I know who you are," sneered Tuney. "You're that Snape boy. From Spinners End. Well Lily, what do you expect from someone like him? Come on, lets go home."

And with that, the two girls left, leaving Severus looking after them, thoroughly disapointed with the way that the conversation had gone. He waited until the girls were completely out of sight before crumpling to the ground, a bitter tear falling down his cheek.

* * *

Severus walked backed to his home on Spinners End in a daze. He was utterly horrified at what had happened at the playground. It was not at all what he had intended to happen. He turned the corner onto his street. He could see his house, all the way at the end of the road. Severus slowed his pace, not wanting to reach home just yet. 

His thoughts drifted back to Lily. He hadn't quite known what he expected to happen. Did he really think she'd believe him? He was a fool. Lily was bound to hate him now. He'd never get to be friends with her. He growled in frustration.

* * *

Severus lay on his bed, his thoughts still on Lily. 'Why am I so attached to this Lily girl?' a little voice inside his head said. 'You don't even know her!' 

Another voice answered, 'But you want to get to know her.'

'She's just a mudblood. What's the big deal?' questioned the first voice.

Severus shook his head, trying to clear his head. This was madness. He decided then and there that he was going to return to the playground and apologize to her. 'She couldn't like me any less, could she? It's worth a try,' he thought to himself.

Satisfied, Severus pulled his blankets over him, and waited for sleep to engulf him.

* * *

It was a few days before Lily returned to the playground. He assumed he had scared her off. She was accompanied, as always, with her airheaded sister. Severus sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he had thought. He wanted to talk to Lily alone. Tuney would surely never let that happen. 

Lily and Tuney assumed their usual spots on the swingsets, swinging away happily. Severus sat and waited. And waited. His impatience grew, and finally he whispered, "Lily!"

"Did you hear something?" Lily asked her sister. She stopped swinging, trying to determine if it was just her imagination.

"No," said Tuney, who resumed her swinging.

Lily got off her swing and wandered over to the bushes where Severus crouched, concealed. He moved, so she could see him, and said quietly, "Lily. Look, don't leave--I just wanted to--apologize."

* * *

"Tell me about the dementors again," whispered Lily. 

Severus and Lily were sitting together in a clearing, in a forest not to far from the playground. Severus couldn't believe his luck. He had asked her to meet him here...and she had!

"Well, the dementors guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You go there if you do something really bad."

"So this is...real?" she said. "I can really do magic?"

"Well, yes," he answered.

"Wow. This is so amazing," Lily whispered, a smile breaking out on herface. She laid back in the grass, and Severus did the same. "Friends?" she said tentatively.

"No," Severus said, smiling. "Best friends."

* * *

**Authors Note:** Well I hope you enjoyed! Leave me a review and let me know what you think (just no flames please!). 


	3. The Platform Between 9 and 10

**Author's Note:** Hi! Thanks to _jade-kwl-name-eva, magnificentX, freyfrey, _and_ StoogegirlSilva_ for reviewing:) _magnificentX_, I tried focus more on Lily and Sev's friendship in this chapter, let me know what you think. :)

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I'm not JKRowling. -tear- I do not own any of the characters. I'll also be putting lyrics at the begining of each chapter. I think it adds a little something. XD Credit to the artist will be given.

_Confusion that never stops  
The closing walls and ticking clocks,  
gonna, Come back and take you home  
I could not stop that you now know, singing._

**"Clocks", Coldplay. Album: A Rush of Blood to the Head**

**The Platform Between 9 and 10  
**

Lily had always known that she had some, for lack of a better word, _abnormal_ qualities. She could make things happen, things that Petunia or her mother or her father couldn't make happen. Things like making objects move, or fixing things without even laying her hand upon them. Petunia was always telling on her whenever she performed one of her strange deeds--but Lily could never see anything wrong with the things she did. They were harmless, even helpful. So when that strange boy from Spinner's End--Severus--told her that she was magical, well, she could sort of believe it.

It gave her a big happy feeling to know that there were other people who could do the sort of things she could. Severus was awkward and shy, but she enjoyed spending time with him. After he apologized to her about calling her a witch--and explaining that 'witch' was the technical term for a female with magical powers, she forgave him, and questioned him about magic.

It turned out there was a whole world, _a whole world_ she knew nothing of. A world that she would soon become a part of. There were many witches and wizards in the world, although they hid themselves from muggles. There were dragons and goblins and spells and even flying broomsticks! And there was a school, Hogwarts, that taught witches and wizards just like her and Severus. He told her that she'd be getting her letter sometime this summer because she was eleven, the age you could start going to Hogwarts.

Every day she had been checking the post, eagerly awaiting her letter.

* * *

. 

"So, wait, what does the seeker do again?" asked Lily.

Severus rolled his eyes, having already gone over this with her, "the seeker catches the snitch. You know, the little golden ball with wings. When the snitch is caught, that team gains one hundred fifty points."

Severus and Lily were sitting in their clearing, in the forest close to the playground. They had been meeting here every day for several weeks.

"My mum wants to meet you," said Lily, twirling a dandelion between her fingers. "She's been wanting to know who I've been spending all my time with, seeing as it isn't Tuney."

Severus felt a knot form in his stomach. What if Lily's mother didn't like him? What if Petunia told her about his parents? Anyone who knew his family was likely to want to steer clear of him. What if she said he and Lily couldn't be friends anymore?

"Don't worry," Lily said, looking at Severus intently, "she'll love you."

He had no idea how she knew what he was thinking, but he didn't say anything. _Snap._ He swerved his head around. They weren't alone in the clearing. Tuney appeared suddenly, having lost her footing behind a tree.

Severus jumped to his feet, "who's spying now? Leave us alone!"

Lily looked in horror between her best friend and sister. Tuney blushed scarlet and retorted, "wasn't spying."

Suddenly, a branch above her head cracked and fell, hitting her on the head. "_Ow!_" Tuney cried, and she ran away. Severus couldn't help but to smirk--that muggle got what she deserved--making fun of him for watching her and Liy at the playground yet here she was, doing the same to them.

"_Severus!_" Lily cried, stomping her foot in frustration. "_You_ did that!"

"No!" he said half-heartedly, the smirk wiped off his face. He hadn't meant to hurt Lily's feelings...

"Don't lie to me," she said angrily, and ran off after her sister.

Severus sat down, angry at himself. He didn't want Lily to be mad at him. She was his best--and well, his only friend. He didn't want to loose her. He sighed and stood up, making his way towards home. He'd come back tomorrow, perhaps by then she'd have forgiven him. Severus crossed his fingers and wished with all he had for Lily not to stay mad at him.

* * *

"Tuney! Tuney, wait up!" Lily cried, finally catching up with her sister. 

Tuney had stopped running now. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She had been crying.

"That--that--Snape boy--he's--he's so--horrible," she stammered, glaring at her sister.

"I'm sorry he did that to you," Lily said apologetically. "But why were you spying on us?"

"_I wasn't spying_, Lily."

"C'mon, you were hiding behind a tree," she pointed out.

Tuney rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to see where you were going off to all the time, that's all. Besides," she added menacingly, "I don't see why you even bother with him in the first place. He's a _freak_."

"Tuney, he's my best friend. He's really quite nice once you get to--"

"_Nice?!_" shrieked Tuney, coming to a dead halt. "You're calling him _nice?_ He hit me with a branch!"

"He is nice. Besides, you're mean to him, you're always making fun of him and--"

But Tuney walked away, ignoring her sister's words completely. Lily sighed. She wished Tuney would just accept that she was friends with Severus.

At the moment, Lily had enough of both of them. She rolled her eyes, and walked home by herself.

* * *

"Lily! You've got a letter, come here," Lily's mother called to her from the kitchen. Lily jumped up, dropping the dolls she had been playing with, and practically flew down the stairs. 

Her mother held out a thick, yellow envelope to her daughter. She had one herself, and she was looking at it, bemused.

"Mum! Ooooh, Mum!" she squealed. "It's from _Hogwarts!_"

Her mother smiled. Lily had suspected that she didn't believe her when she had first told her about Hogwarts. Now she'd see, it was real!

Lily turned the letter over. It was sealed shut with a large 'H' and a coat of arms. She ripped open the envelope and began reading.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand. Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards_)

Dear Ms. Evans,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerly,  
Minerva McGonagall  
_Deputy Headmistress_

Lily looked up, delighted. Her mother was reading her letter with a pained expression on her face.

"Mum, I told you, _I told you it was real._"

"Eh?" said her mother, still reading her letter. There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" said Lily excitedly, and ran for the door. She opened it to reveal a tall woman, with jet black hair pulled into a high bun. She was wearing emerald green robes, and her face looked stern.

"Hello," said the woman, and her stern expression softened a little. "I'm Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School. I was wondering if we could have a word?"

* * *

Lily sprinted to the clearing. She never stopped to walk once--she was so excited to tell Severus all about her day, completely forgetting her anger towards him for hurting her sister. She raced into the clearing, and found Severus laying in the grass already. 

"Lily!"

"Severus! I've just got my letter!" she shrieked, beaming at him.

He was relieved. He hadn't been sure if she was going to show up today or not. "Me too." He held his up.

Lily was jumping around, unable to control herself. "And Professor McGonagall came to my house! She told my mum all about Hogwarts, and then she took us to Diagon Alley to get my supplies!" She laid down beside Severus. "This is going to be so much fun!"

'_Yeah,_' thought Severus, '_it really is._'

* * *

The next month Lily and Severus met every day in their clearing. They poured over their new books, eagerly awaiting September 1st. 

"I hope your in Slytherin," said Severus one day. The thought had just occured to him--what if they were different houses?

Lily looked up from The Standard Book of Spells, and smiled. "No matter what, we'll still be friends," she said comfortingly. She had a knack of knowing what was on his mind.

"Friends?"

Lily laughed. "_Best friends._"

* * *

The days stretched on, and Lily and Severus were blissfully happy. Severus hadn't felt this happy ever, that he could remember. At home his father was quick to yell and to hit his wife and son. At school the rest of the kids had made fun of his odd clothes. He was always alone, always wishing for something, or someone, meaningful to come into his life and make him happy. Lily had been that someone. She shone brightly in the darkness that usually consumed him. He found himself laughing and smiling with her. She was interested in what he had to say, and didn't make fun of his greasy hair or baggy clothes. Most importantly, she made him feel special.

* * *

Severus took a deep breath. He was about to meet Lily at the playground, and then go back to her house. He hadn't ever been to her house before, and he was nervous about meeting her family. He hoped they weren't all as bad as Petunia. He shuffled into the bathroom, and locked the door. He looked into the mirror. His reflection grimaced back at him. Severus couldn't stand his appearance--pale skin, shoulder-length greasy black hair. His eyes were a dark brown. He was scrawny. 

Suddenly the door knob rattled, and Severus nearly jumped out his skin."What've you got the door locked for boy?" growled his father from the other side of the door.

"Nothing." Severus unlocked the door and dodged his father. "Mum," he said quickly, "I'm going to Lily's."

"Oh is that the mudblood?"

"She's muggle-born, yes. I've got to run, bye," and he dashed out the door.

He headed for the playground, thinking. He couldn't bring himself to call Lily a mudblood. The name didn't suit her at all. Lily was amazing. He had never met a person like her before, and it was clear that her magical powers were strong for her age. What if his mother was wrong? What if blood status didn't matter?

However, he didn't have any time to contemplate this thought, for a whirl of red hair engulfed him in a quick embrace. "Sev!" Severus had been so preoccupied in his thoughts that he didn't realize he had reached the playground. She let go of him and stood back, beaming at him.

"Ooooh, I'm so glad your here! C'mon, lets go," she said, leading him away from the playground.

"One more day."

"I know!" Lily said breathlessly. "I'm so nervous!"

"Don't be," Severus reassured her.

"Here it is." Lily and Severus had reached a dead end, and were standing in front of a blue house. It was an average sized house, with a large front lawn. Severus hesistated, and then followed Lily into the house.

"Mum! Dad! Come here!"

Lily's mother was a friendly-looking woman with long, dirty-blonde hair--the same colour as Petunia's. Mr. Evans, Lily's father was very tall. He had a receeding hairline, and his hair was a brilliant shade of red. It was clear it was he Lily inherited her hair from.

"Hello dear," said Mrs. Evans, hugging Severus. "Lily has told us so much about you..."

"Hello," said Mr. Evans, shaking his hand.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," he said quietly.

"Come on Sev! I've gotta show you my room!" Lily grabbed his hand and dragged him up a flight of stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Severus surveyed the room. The walls were covered in cloud wallpaper, and there was a large bookcase. Dolls and clothes and spellbooks littered the floor. Her trunk stood against the far wall.

"Sit down," Lily sat, patting beside her on the bed. He sat down.

"Your familys nice," he said.

"Thanks." She leaned over and picked up a book from the floor. "Look here," she said. "I can't wait to learn these spells."

They flipped through the entire book, reading about the various spells they would soon be learning. "Hey," she said. "This is boring. Lets go in Tuney's room, she's got a turtle!" Lily grabbed Severus' hand and pulled him into the room across the hall.

"I don't think I should be in here," he started, but Lily pulled him over to a desk with a turtle's cage on it. "This is Humpfrey." Severus got up to leave when a piece of parchment on the desk caught his attention.

"Hey, look at this," he said, picking up the parchment. "It's from--wait, it can't be. This is from Hogwarts! And it's addressed to your sister!" he said, unbelieving, picking up a ripped envelope and checking the address.

"Um, Sev, I don't think--wait, it's from Hogwarts?"

He started to read aloud--"'Dear Ms. Petunia Evans,  
I appreciate your intentions to get into my school! However, it is my great displeasure to inform you that you cannot attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at this time. Our school is for children who exhibit magical abilities. If you should in the future, then I shall certainly reconsider.  
Sincerly yours,  
Albus Dumbledore  
Headmaster'"

"How did she send a letter to Hogwarts? She's a muggle..."

"I don't know," said Lily. "But we'd better stop looking through her stuff, come on."

* * *

The day had finally come--September 1st. Severus and his mother had gotten up early to avoid his father. He grabbed his trunk and lugged it down the stairs, not even giving his dreary room a second glance. His stomach was aching with nerves. 

"You ready?" asked his mother.

"Yes," said Severus.

"Alright then." His mother moved closer to him, and grasped his elbow. He felt a swirling darkness encompass him, and he held on tight to his trunk. The darkness pressed down upon him, almost suffocating him. A moment later this uncomfortable sensation stopped, and Severus opened his eyes to find himself in a train station.

"This is King's Cross Station," said his mother, walking ahead. Severus dragged his heavy trunk and followed her. Finally they reached the barrior between platforms 9 and 10.

"Just walk through the barrior. Have a good year," Mrs. Snape said, and walked away from her son. Severus grabbed his trunk and walked straight at the barrior. A moment later he saw a scarlet steam engine--the Hogwarts Express.

"All aboard!" yelled the conductor. Severus boarded the train, and went to find Lily.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the wait. :( I've been kind of having writers block (arghh, annoying!) Oo. I've worked hard on this chapter though, and it's considerably longer than the other two, so please read and review! Just don't be too harsh, please. :) 


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